Come What May
by DramaLexy
Summary: Sequel to my fic 'Where We Belong'. For the Fosters, the road to becoming a family of seven will definitely have some bumps.
1. Prologue

**TITLE: Come What May**

**SUMMARY: Sequel to "Where We Belong." For the Fosters, the road to becoming a family of seven will definitely have some bumps.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own, you don't sue.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you haven't read "Where We Belong," you'll probably be a little confused at first. I got a couple reviews for that story requesting I write more about Callie and Jude getting adopted, so hopefully this will make them happy. Another title inspired by the theme song. Enjoy!**

* * *

By Monday morning, the Foster family was still riding a post-wedding high. The kids all woke themselves up and started getting ready for Anchor Bay's summer program without complaint. Lena was in such a good mood, she decided to get a little extra creative with making breakfast for everyone.

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Stef asked her wife as she looked over her shoulder to see what was in the pan on the stove.

Lena nodded. "The container on the table has blueberry ones."

"I knew there was a reason I married you." They both smiled, and started to kiss, but were interrupted as the kids started arriving in the kitchen.

"Moms, seriously?" Jesus asked as he and Jude entered the room. The younger boy just giggled.

"Good morning to you, too," Stef told her middle son. "I will remember this, you know. Payback was invented by mothers."

Jesus just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Brandon and Callie were the next to come in. "Where's Mariana?" Lena asked them as she put the last of the pancakes on a plate.

"Guess," was all Brandon said.

Stef went over to the staircase. "Mariana Foster! Breakfast, now!"

"I'm doing my hair!" she called back.

"You'd look lovely even in a trash bag, my dear. Come downstairs." The other kids were snickering as Stef re-entered the kitchen. "Maybe you ought to let her go first," she suggested to them.

Brandon shook his head. "Then none of the rest of us would ever get in the bathroom."

"I have a feeling the four of you pounding on the door might hurry her up."

"Don't think so, Mom," Jesus replied.

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Mariana finally made her appearance as everyone was loading up their plates. They discussed the kids' schedule for the week while they ate. Jesus had tryouts for fall sports on Thursday afternoon. Brandon had an extra piano lesson on Tuesday, plus was spending Wednesday and Friday nights with Mike. Callie also had therapy on Wednesday. A typical week for the family.

Once they were all finished eating, the kids ran to get their bags together while Stef and Lena cleaned up. "You're going to call the kids' social worker today, right?" Stef softly asked her wife.

Lena nodded. "I'll let you know what Bill says."

* * *

There was no such thing as a boring day at Anchor Bay Charter School, even in the middle of their summer program. Lena had several things to deal with that morning - a staff meeting, a couple kids that had been caught trying to sneak off the property, and a prospective family for the fall. Just as she got back to her office after giving a tour, her phone started ringing. She was surprised to see Bill's name and number on the screen.

"Hey, Bill," she answered. "I was actually just about to call you."

"Uh-oh."

"No, no, everything's fine. It's good news."

"Okay. Well, I've got good news, too."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. I've got a family that's interested in adopting Callie and Jude."

* * *

**TBC...**


	2. Choices

**A/N: You guys are such good motivation! Thanks for your comments, and I hope everyone enjoys the new episode tonight!**

* * *

_**CHAPTER ONE: CHOICES**_

"I've got a family that's interested in adopting Callie and Jude."

Upon hearing those words, Lena felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. "W-what?" she barely managed to ask.

"They're local, in Rancho Sante Fe," Bill explained. "They've fostered a few times over the years, and they had a biological son; he was killed last year in Afghanistan."

"That's horrible."

"I know. They're good people and are prepared to provide a lot for the kids. We've discussed Jude's learning challenges and Callie's history. They've come up with plans for helping them with both."

"Wow."

"So, you said you had good news, too?"

"Um, yeah, I did, didn't I? Stef and I talked this weekend and... well, we realized that we wanted to keep Callie and Jude." There was silence from the other end of the phone. "Bill? Are you still there?"

"Oh," was all he finally said.

Lena sighed. "Yeah."

* * *

Lena was in a fog for the rest of the day once she got off the phone. That was not at all how she'd expected her conversation with Bill to go, and now she was uncertain what they should do.

She tried to hide her preoccupation from the kids, but they all noticed. She forgot a couple items when they stopped by the grocery store on the way home, and dinner almost burned when she set the oven timer incorrectly (luckily, Stef came to the rescue).

"Hey, Mama?" Jesus' voice broke Lena out of her reverie.

"Hmm?"

Jesus indicated her still-half full plate. She'd mostly just been pushing the food back and forth during dinner. "Are you done?" All of the kids had finished eating and were each doing their assigned part to clean up.

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mariana asked. It was the third time that one of the kids had voiced that question since they'd left school.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, guys."

Stef took Lena's hand. "You guys please finish up down here," she told the kids. "I'll take care of Mama." They then headed up to their bedroom. "What's going on?" Stef asked once she'd shut the door behind them. "What happened with Bill? Bad news?"

"I'm not sure. Apparently, he already had a prospective family lined up for Callie and Jude." Stef sighed. "Yeah, that was my reaction. I almost feel like I should apologize to the kids. We keep telling them how amazing they are, but I hadn't expected that Bill would find someone already."

"Are they good?" Stef wondered.

"The way Bill was talking, they sound like the Warbucks. They live in Rancho Sante Fe, in a mansion, I'm sure. The kids would have their own rooms, their own bathrooms, a pool - "

"All that just means they have money," Stef pointed out. "It doesn't mean they'd be a good family."

"They've fostered before, so they have experience. They're going to get a tutor for Jude. They plan to homeschool him, if need be, to get him caught up."

"Okay." Lena had been doing a lot for the little boy's schooling, but that was an offer they couldn't match. And they both knew it.

"The mom's a psychiatrist, and has a plan for working with Callie."

"That could be good for her." They'd been trying their best, but sometimes time and love just couldn't heal all wounds. With Callie, it felt like they'd barely scratched the surface.

"Yeah, it could."

"Did you tell Bill about our decision?" Stef wondered.

"Yeah, after he'd already been singing their praises." Lena sighed. "We've got them now, so he'd give us first dibs, but... I can't help but wonder if we're the best thing for them or not? I mean, we can all agree that the house is too small. Usually the only time any of the kids can manage to get our undivided attention is when they're in trouble."

"We can work on that."

"I know we can, and we need to, but... I don't want to keep them from a better life just because it'll hurt us to let them go. That's not fair to them. We've fostered kids before; we know the drill. We need to make sure that we're doing what's best for Callie and Jude."

Stef nodded. "They're both old enough to think for themselves. Why don't we ask them what they want?"

* * *

All of the kids had come up to their rooms by then, so Lena and Stef took Callie and Jude down to the living room to talk privately. Jude seemed nervous, chewing on his green-painted fingernails.

"Did we do something wrong?" he asked as they got seated.

"You tell me," Stef asked him with a smile. "What don't we know about?"

Jude shrugged. "Nothing."

Lena took his hand. "You guys aren't in trouble. We have some news for you, actually. Bill has found a couple that's interested in adopting you."

Jude's face instantly fell, while Callie worked very hard to keep hers an impassive mask. "He did?" the little boy shakily asked. The siblings were both afraid of leaving their current family behind and what might lie ahead in their lives with a new family.

Stef nodded. "We wanted to talk to you, because you have a choice to make. You can meet this couple and see if you'd like to live with them, or you can stay here. With us."

Callie raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "What do you mean, stay here? Just until Bill finds something else for us?"

"No," Lena told her, shaking her head. "Stay here for good. We talked this weekend and we've changed our minds. If you two want to stay here permanently, we'll adopt you."

Jude startled Lena slightly when he threw himself into her arms. "I want to stay," he happily declared.

"You don't have to decide right now," Stef told them. "This other couple... well, they've got more money than we do. They'll be able to provide things for you that we can't, and it sounds like they're very interested in making sure that you're happy, healthy, and successful in life."

"You're sure?" Callie asked.

"Well, we haven't met them ourselves," Stef replied, "But Bill told Lena - "

"No," the teen interrupted. "You're sure that you want us?"

Lena brushed Callie's hair back with one hand; her other arm was still hugging Jude. "We are completely certain. You have become part of this family, and we don't want to lose you. But we want you both to think about this, okay? We want to make sure that you pick what's going to be best for you."

Callie and Jude held each other's look for a long moment. "We don't have to think about it," she announced. "We want to stay here."

The moms smiled. "Okay. We'll talk tomorrow about what comes next," Lena told them. "It's almost bedtime for you, isn't it?" she asked Jude. He nodded. "We'll come check on you in a little bit."

"Okay." He started to leave the room, but turned back and gave each of the moms a fierce hug. "Thank you," he whispered to each of them.

Stef blinked back tears. "You don't need to thank us, love."

Callie was still sitting on the couch, staring at her hands. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Lena asked.

"I'll have a house," she whispered, seemingly awestruck. Lena and Stef smiled.

"You do have a house," Lena assured her. "And you have two more brothers and a sister, and two moms that love you very much."

"That piece of paper is just to legalize what we already know," Stef added. "You're already a member of this family."

But that piece of paper was so important to Callie. Without it, everything else just seemed like more promises that could too easily be broken. She'd had so many broken promises during her lifetime. But she wasn't sure how to voice that fear. So she didn't say anything and simply headed upstairs after giving the moms a quiet thank you.

Stef sighed once she and Lena were alone. "She is like Fort Knox."

"It's understandable. She'll trust us eventually, once she learns to feel secure. I think this is the only way she'll ever be able to feel secure."

"We can't screw this up," Stef worried.

Lena smiled. "At least no worse than we've screwed up the rest of the kids."

* * *

**TBC...**


	3. Control

**A/N: As always, thanks for the love! Just so you all know, this won't be a Brallie fic. Would be pretty weird if they are actually legal siblings. Maybe I'll do a separate fic for them...**

* * *

_**CHAPTER TWO: CONTROL**_

Despite the fact that Callie and Jude had quickly reached a decision, Lena and Stef still wanted to give them a little bit of time to actually think it over. The following evening, they asked the pair to help with dinner so that they could talk again.

"Good job," Stef complemented Jude as he cut up ingredients for a salad. "We just wanted to be certain you guys are sure about staying here. You're not going to hurt our feelings if you've changed your minds, but we need to give Bill a final answer."

Jude frowned. "You don't want us to stay?"

"No, that's not it at all," Lena quickly assured him. "We just know that there have been a lot of things in you guys' lives that you haven't had control over. Now that you do have some control, it's our job as your guardians to make sure you think this through."

"We didn't talk about this yesterday," Stef added, "But... with this other couple, you'd have what people call a traditional family. A mom and a dad. I don't know if you've thought about it. There are people out there who treat us differently - who would treat you differently - because of what our family looks like."

Late the previous night, the moms had talked at length about whether or not to bring up this issue with the siblings. Stef had finally realized that they had to. Just because their family was perfect in their eyes didn't mean that everybody would agree. If Callie and Jude stayed with them, they'd be opening themselves up to verbal abuse and discrimination from complete strangers who didn't understand them. It wasn't fair to the kids, it wasn't fair to them, and Stef hated that even after so many years they still had to have this discussion.

Jude looked adorably confused. "What's it matter?" he asked the two women. "As long as there's somebody to take care of us, why should anyone care who it is?"

"That's what we think," Lena agreed. "But we can't pretend that there aren't people out there who don't like the idea of our family. We feel that we have to ask: are you okay with being part of that?"

Callie looked down at her brother. She knew that Jude wasn't ready to admit it yet, but he was going to face many of the challenges their foster mothers had. Protecting and defending him had kept her going for the past few years; she'd already gone to juvie for him and would gladly do more if it was necessary. So whether they became Fosters or not, there would always be people out there who didn't understand him - didn't understand them. At least in this family, Jude would be safe and happy. "We haven't had a mom and a dad for years," she softly explained. "Well, not ones that really gave a damn about us. We stood up for ourselves all that time; we can keep doing it. It'd be worth it."

Stef and Lena shared a look for a moment. "Okay," Lena finally said. "We'll call Bill tomorrow and get the ball rolling."

It was quiet in the kitchen as they finished getting dinner together, each of them lost in their own thoughts. "When are you going to tell everyone else?" Callie asked as she set out plates on the table.

"After dinner," Stef replied. "Why?"

"Just wondering. Not sure if the twins will like that they'll be sharing their rooms permanently."

"I'm sure they'll be fine, but if not... they'll get over it. You guys are agreeing to sharing your rooms with them, too."

* * *

Once Brandon got home from his music lesson, everyone had dinner. Afterward, the twins had dish duty, while Callie wiped down the table, and Brandon and Jude collected the dirty laundry. "Can everyone come in the living room once they're done?" Stef called through the house.

All of the kids slowly trickled into the room as they finished their chores. They sat in a row on the couch, and Lena and Stef couldn't help but smile at the sight of the five of them together. Their children.

"We've got some family news," Lena told the kids. "Mom and I have decided that we wanted Callie and Jude to have a home here, permanently. They also had another family interested in taking them, but they want to stay here. So they're going to be your brother and sister for good."

Jesus grinned. "Cool!" he exclaimed, and bumped fists with Jude. The younger boy giggled.

Mariana offered Callie a smile. "If you're staying, then I'm totally taking you out shopping. Your half of the closet needs work."

She laughed a little. "Okay."

Stef was very glad to see that both of their attitudes had taken a 180 degree turn since Callie and Jude first arrived. It had seemed like they'd all been getting closer over the past few months, and she was glad to see that that assumption was true. It then dawned on her that their oldest hadn't said anything yet. "Brandon? What do you think?"

"When did this get decided?" he asked, his voice tight.

"Mama and I talked about it this weekend, after the wedding."

"But you didn't mention anything to us?" he continued. "This time, you're just telling me after the decision's already been made?"

Stef froze in surprise. She and Lena had been so excited about how everything was turning out, it hadn't dawned on them that things were being done very differently from when they'd brought the twins into their family. Yes, they were the parents and got the final say, but this was a decision that would affect all seven of them. "I'm sorry, Brandon. Jesus and Mariana, too. I guess we were thinking this was different from last time. But you're right; we should have talked to you, too."

Jesus shrugged. "I don't care."

"Me, either," Mariana added. Brandon sulked on the end of the couch.

"Do you want to talk now?" Lena asked him.

"Doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

She decided that comment wasn't worth a response. "I know this won't be 100% easy, for any of us. But Mom and I think that we're all going to be better off as a family forever. And we hope that you do, too."

Brandon got up from the couch. "I need to go practice piano," he announced as he left. The other kids stared after him, then looked to their mothers. Neither woman was sure what to say.

Jesus looked down at his soon-to-be little brother when he heard him sniffle. "Don't worry about it, kid. He's just proving Miss Thang over here isn't the only one in the family with a talent for occasionally being overdramatic."

"Hey!" Mariana cried.

"Although with her, it's not really occasional," Jesus continued. Jude cracked a smile.

"Do you have a project for summer session to work on?" Callie asked her brother, trying to distract him. He shook his head.

"Then it sounds like we need to have a PSP competition," Jesus suggested. "Come on, I'll let you pick the game." The younger four all headed for the stairs.

Lena grabbed Jesus's arm as he passed her by and kissed his forehead. "Thank you for being a great big brother," she quietly told him.

He shrugged. "No sweat."

* * *

Lena and Stef were busy the rest of the evening taking care of things around the house. They let Brandon cool off on his own since they weren't entirely sure what to say to him. Once the kids were all set for the night, the moms sat together on their bed to fold laundry and talk.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Stef softly admitted. "Of course we should have talked to the other kids first. I was just so focused on making sure Callie and Jude are going to get what they need... I didn't think about the rest of them."

"They are not little kids anymore, Stef."

"They're still OUR little ones."

"Yes, but they know how to sacrifice from themselves for others. Brandon may be upset, but he knows how much we love him and will always love him. Callie and Jude need to be just as assured, and that's where our priority was."

"We still should have talked to them."

Lena raised an eyebrow. "Well, we can't change that now, babe."

"Mmm... Do you think he's just mad at us for how we handled this, or that he really does have a problem with adopting them?"

"I'm not sure... If he'd had a problem with adopting the twins, would it have stopped us?"

Stef knew that she had a point. "No. But we would have slowed things down, worked things out with him."

"There's no reason to do it any differently now. When we were adopting the twins, we let him have an active role in helping them make a new life here. Maybe that'll help him now, too."

"Maybe."

"We know he and Callie connected over music almost as soon as she got here. I think they'd both get a lot out of continuing to develop their talent together. And I've seen Jude eyeing the basketball hoop out back; that could be something B could do with him."

Stef smiled at the mental picture. "That should be amusing to watch." Neither boy had much in the way of athletic ability.

Lena hit her with a pillow. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. Thank you. I'll talk to Brandon once he gets back from dinner with Mike tomorrow."

They put the last few items in the laundry bin, which Stef sat on the floor. Lena turned out the light and they curled up in bed together.

"We'll be fine," Lena softly promised. "Somehow, we always are."

"I know... I was just thinking of something else."

"What?"

"I know we're both so glad that Callie and Jude want to stay, but that means there's another family out there that's losing out on having them in their lives. We're very lucky."

Lena sat up slightly to kiss her. "Yes, we definitely are."

* * *

**TBC...**


	4. Conflicted

_**CHAPTER THREE: **__**CONFLICTED**_

Breakfast the next morning was tense. Callie was actually glad for once to have school as an escape. Afterward, she practiced guitar in Anchor Beach's music room for a while before heading to the local community center for a group therapy session.

_Wonder how many more of these I'll have to do?_ she thought to herself as she pretended to listen while a boy told his story. Even if it was part of her probation, a foster kid support group seemed unneeded if she'd no longer be a foster kid. It was something that set her apart from the rest of her siblings when all she really wanted at the moment was to be like everyone else.

"Callie, how about you?" her therapist asked, bringing her head back out of the clouds. "Anything new you want to discuss with the group?"

She hated talking at the sessions - why should she have to share her problems with other people that can't do anything about them? She'd never been able to trust that therapy really was confidential. But she knew that saying a little something voluntarily, was better than getting prodded into it later. It saved her some time. "Um, my foster moms have decided to adopt me and my brother."

"Nice," a couple of the other kids commented. What more could a foster kid want than to find a permanent home? Who would think about the possible complications that could come with that? Callie knew she certainly hadn't considered them when she'd dreamed of being adopted as a child.

"How do you feel about that?" was all their therapist asked.

"What?"

The woman smiled slightly. "Are you happy? Any fears? Concerns?"

_That I'm going to blurt out in front of everybody? No way._ She just shrugged. "The house is too small for everyone."

"You're going to have several new siblings, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"That can be challenging. Especially if they aren't all on-board with their parents' decision."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "How did you know about that?" Had Stef or Lena actually talked to the woman?

Her therapist held her gaze. "I didn't know," she replied. Callie glared and kept her mouth shut. She'd revealed far more than she'd intended because of a lucky guess. "Keeping lines of communication open within your family will be very important as you all try to redefine 'normal life' together. Does anyone have something to share about their experiences working out life with their foster siblings?"

Callie tuned them out, still thinking about her own family. Brandon's reaction the previous night had worried her. Their relationship had been complicated since she arrived at the Foster house, but she hadn't expected him to be angry over the moms' announcement. Jesus had reassured Jude that Brandon was just mad about not being part of the decision-making process, but Callie wasn't so sure. What if he really just didn't want them as siblings? He knew about too many of the secrets and wounds she tried to keep hidden. She'd spent years perfected her 'brave face' act to keep anyone from realizing how screwed up she was inside. It was the only way she had a chance of someone wanting her around for anything other than a punching bag.

A knot of fear had been growing in her stomach all day. If Brandon didn't want them, maybe Lena and Stef would realize that they didn't, either. After all, who would pick a foster kid - especially one like her - over a biological kid?

* * *

Brandon had really been enjoying his nights out with his dad. His moms usually let him have a pretty good amount of freedom, but they were still moms. When he hung out with Mike, he usually felt more grown up. That evening, they'd gone out to a movie and then stopped at a local burger joint.

"So what's new in your life?" Mike asked while they waited for their food. "Anything interesting?"

Brandon gave a short laugh. "Yeah. Moms are adopting Callie and Jude."

"Wow... Although I guess I could see that coming."

"I didn't," he replied. "They just blindsided us last night."

"What do you mean?"

"With the twins, Mom and Lena sat me down and asked if I was okay with the idea. This time they didn't tell any of us anything. Other than Jude and Callie, I guess."

"Okay, I could see the problem there, but... Would you have said no?"

Brandon glared. "That's not the point. They should have asked us. We're even older now; we should have some say in what happens with our own family. I'm the oldest; I'm supposed to look out for all of them, but then they don't tell me what's going on?" He sighed. "I was always so proud that they'd asked me with the twins, you know? That they cared what I thought."

"Your mom and Lena still care what you think."

"Really? Sometimes it seems like the older I get and the more I try to take care of myself, the more they think I can't handle it."

"That's called 'being a teenager.' If you're lucky, you'll live long enough to outgrow it."

"Dad!"

"I'm serious! Kids don't come with an instruction manual, you know. The older you get, the more opportunities and choices you have. None of us want to see you make bad decisions. So sometimes it's hard not to make them for you."

"How do I learn what kind of choices to make if I don't get to make them myself?"

Mike smirked. "That is an excellent point... If I recall, your last big 'adult decision' ended up with you having a gun in your face. Not your best move." Brandon sighed. "Cut your mom some slack, okay, bud? I think she just knew what a great guy she'd raised and didn't think you would have a problem. Considering the fact that she wasn't wrong..."

Brandon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"And whenever that zoo becomes too much for you to handle, you know that you've got someplace to escape to."

He eyed his father warily. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not asking you to choose between us; I shouldn't have done that before. I just want you to remember that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to or want to just get away for the night, okay?"

"Okay, Dad. Thanks."

* * *

When Callie got out of her support group, she knew that Brandon was supposed to be picking her up on his way home. However, she didn't see his car in the parking lot. She checked her phone and discovered that he'd sent her a text message a few minutes before:

I'M STILL WITH DAD. I'LL BE THERE A LITTLE LATE.

Callie sighed. It was only a twenty minute walk, tops, from the community center back to the house. She didn't want to be standing in front of the building like a forgotten child and she really didn't want to piss off Brandon if being her ride was cutting into his plans with his father.

IT'S OK. I'LL JUST WALK, she texted back to him.

A few seconds later, she got a short reply: OK.

With text messages, it was far too easy to construe laziness or preoccupation as anger or annoyance. Callie unfortunately assumed the worst. _I guess he's still mad about last night_, she thought as she started walking down the sidewalk.

It surprised her how much that hurt. She could vividly remember during her second day with the family when he played his song about Mariana and Jesus' adoption. He'd been happy and nonchalant about the twins becoming part of his family, but apparently it was different for her. She couldn't help but take it personally. It reinforced every doubt she had about herself. After so many years in the system, was she broken? Could she ever have the home and family she'd always wanted?

* * *

As Brandon walked into the Foster house, he noticed that Lena and Stef were in the dining room working on balancing the family checkbook. "Hey," he called to them, trying to take his father's advice and get over the previous evening.

"Hey, B. Did you have a good time with your dad?" Stef asked.

"Yeah."

Lena looked back toward the closed front door in confusion. "Brandon, where's Callie?"

He frowned. "What do you mean? Isn't she here?"

"You were supposed to be picking her up," Stef reminded her son with a sigh. If he'd left his soon-to-be sister sitting outside alone at night, he was definitely going to be the one to go back and get her. And apologize.

However, Brandon shook his head. "I told her that I was running late with Dad; she said she'd walk home. She's not here?"

Both women instantly got up from the table. "No, she's not," Lena answered as they joined him in the foyer. "How long ago did you talk to her?"

Brandon looked at his phone. "She texted me 45 minutes ago. She should have been here by now."

Stef headed for the kitchen to get her own cell phone and track Callie's location. Lena and Brandon trailed behind her. Just as Stef retrieved the device, the landline started ringing. Lena was closest and grabbed the handset. "Hello?" she answered.

"May I please speak with Stef or Lena Foster?" the man on the other end asked.

"This is Lena Foster."

"Ma'am, my name is Fred Warren; I'm an officer with the San Diego Police Department."

Lena's heart instantly sank. "Is Callie okay?" she cut straight to the chase.

"I'm sorry to tell you that she was involved in an accident tonight. A drunk driver jumped the curb as she was walking on the sidewalk. She's been taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital. I don't have an update on her condition, but it was very serious when the paramedics were on scene."

Lena didn't even bother to say goodbye before she hung up. Stef and Brandon were anxiously watching her and waiting for information. "Go get your brothers and sister," Lena quietly told Brandon.

"What happened to Callie?" he asked, worry painted all over his face. "Is she okay?!"

"Brandon, please just go!"

Stef took Lena's hand as their oldest left the room. "How bad?" she softly wondered, fearing the answer.

"We need to get over to Mercy, now."

* * *

**TBC...**

**A/N: I'm going to be without internet access for a few days, but I'll try to have another chapter up over the weekend.**


	5. Consciousness

**A/N: I'm back! Thanks for all of the responses to the last chapter. To the anonymous person who asked some good questions: PM me (if you have an account) and we'll talk.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER FOUR: CONSCIOUSNESS**_

The first thing that Callie was aware of was pain. Lots of it. Radiating from her right arm and leg. She started to inhale, but stopped as another spear of pain lanced through her side. _What the hell happened to me?_

She couldn't help a small moan as she tried to open her eyes. On top of everything else that was hurting her, the lights were so bright! Two shapes appeared in her field of view, and her eyes struggled to focus on them.

"Hey, sweetheart," a voice gently told her. "You probably feel pretty terrible right now, but you're going to be okay."

Callie blinked. "Lena?"

"Yeah, Mama and I are right here," Stef told her, and Callie could feel that she was holding her left hand. Confusion was starting to push the pain from her mind, though.

"Me and Jude don't call you Mom and Mama," she mumbled, still trying to fight her way back to true consciousness.

Both women frowned. "Since when?" Lena asked. "You've called me Mama since you were seven years old." Callie didn't even know where to start with that statement. She hadn't even known Lena for nine months, let alone nine years!

Before she could come up with a reply, the door opened and a doctor entered the room. "I see someone's awake," he commented with a smile as he reached for her chart. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," was the best answer Callie could come up with. And it didn't get any better when she realized that her medical chart had her name listed as 'Callie Foster' instead of 'Callie Jacobs.' _What is going on?!_

The doctor just nodded. "Some confusion is normal, considering the concussion that you suffered. Do you remember anything about what happened?"

Callie thought about it. "I was walking home... That's it."

"That's not unusual. You were clipped by a car that came up on the sidewalk. Your wrist was broken, as well as a couple ribs. You've got a good number of stitches on your forehead and your leg, but all-in-all, you're a very lucky girl."

"How long was I asleep?" Callie wondered.

"Almost three days. Your body had a lot of healing to do. Still does, but it looks like you're on the right track. Are you feeling any pain?"

She nodded. "Yeah, everywhere."

"Okay, I'll up your meds for now and we'll start working on a long-term plan for pain management." The doctor adjusted one of her IVs, noted a few things on her chart, and checked on the wound on her leg before leaving them alone.

Callie still wasn't totally sure what was going on, but there was one person she really wanted to see at the moment. "Where's Jude?"

"He's at home," Lena assured her. "He'll be very glad to hear you're awake; everyone's been waiting."

Stef squeezed her unbroken hand. "I'm going to go call your Dad and let him know."

"Dad?" Callie wondered, her confusion deepening.

"Yeah. He's at the house with Jude and the twins. I'm sure he'll bring them all right over."

* * *

By the time that Mike, Mariana, Jesus, and Jude were walking into her hospital room, Callie had realized that in this version of reality, she'd taken Brandon's place in the family. Stef and Mike were HER parents - apparently she'd grown up with the security and support of three parents instead of none.

As soon as Jude came into the room, he ran for her bedside. Lena just barely managed to catch him around the waist. "Hold on, there, Mr. Man. You need to be gentle with your sister, okay?"

"I will," he promised, so Lena let him go. He happily went to Callie's side. "I missed you."

She was very glad to see that even in this mixed up version of the world, he still seemed like Jude, right down to his alternating blue and silver fingernails. "I missed you, too, buddy," Callie replied.

"Mama says that I can help take care of you when you get home, like you helped take care of me when I was a baby. I'll do your chores and I can write for you."

Lena wrapped her arm around Jude's shoulders. "My special guy who has never minded chores."

Callie had been wondering what relation Jude was to her in this alternate universe. It wasn't likely that he was also Stef and Mike's, and therefore he wouldn't be her brother by blood. But she'd still been in his life since he was a baby, so that would mean he'd been raised by Stef and Lena. Callie instantly loved the idea that Jude had been in their diverse and accepting household for his entire life instead of struggling with closed-minded and abusive foster parents. With the moms' love and guidance, how incredible of an adult would he turn out to be?

"You can have my chores, too," Jesus teased his little brother. Jude stuck his tongue out. "How soon can you come home?" he then asked Callie.

"The doctors aren't sure yet," Stef answered for her. "Probably a couple more days."

"You looked really bad when you first got here," Mariana told her sister.

"Mariana!" Lena scolded.

"Well, she did! I'm glad you're awake now."

"Yeah, me, too," Callie agreed. She still had no idea how any of this was possible, but decided to stop questioning it so much. She could get used to this life.

* * *

It took two days, but the doctors finally decided that Callie was doing well enough to be able to go home. Stef helped her get dressed, careful not to disturb her arm or leg. Her 'mother' had brought a jeans skirt - which wouldn't irritate the bandage on her calf - and peasant shirt that easily fit over the cast on her arm. It wasn't the kind of clothing that Callie would pick for herself, but it was practical.

"Where's everyone else?" Callie asked Stef as a nurse pushed her in a wheelchair toward the main entrance of the hospital.

"At school. Mama and I thought it would be a little easier for you if it was quiet at the house while you get settled." Callie appreciated that, even if she was anxious to see her little brother again. She'd always hated being away from Jude; the desire to look out for him - even if it was unneeded - was deeply ingrained in her.

"Your dad will stop by tonight," Stef continued. "He said he'd pick up Chinese for dinner, unless you want something else?"

Callie shrugged. "I don't care."

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Once they got home, Callie was wishing she had the wheelchair back. Walking on her injured leg hurt a lot; she had no idea how she was going to make it upstairs to her bedroom. Even with Stef helping to stabilize her, it took a lot of her energy just to get through the front door.

"Let's get you in the living room," Stef told her. "We thought we'd limit the number of stairs you need to climb until your leg gets better."

Callie managed a small smile. "Yeah, thanks." As she hobbled down the two steps into the living room, she was surprised to see that the area around the couch really had been converted. Her blanket had been brought down, along with a few books and an iPod. There was also a message board propped up on the end table with several pictures pinned to it.

"Mariana thought you'd want that with you," Stef told Callie as she helped her sit down. The teen couldn't tear her eyes away from the images. They depicted a life that she could barely imagine living, a happy life growing up in that house.

There was a photo of her with Stef as a little girl, and another with them and Lena. A picture of her holding Jude when he was a baby brought tears to her eyes. She'd never had these kinds of tangible reminders of her early childhood before. Anything she'd once owned had been lost in hurried moves between different houses. Other photos on the board showed her, Jude, Jesus, and Mariana dressed in Halloween costumes, playing in a neighborhood pool, or opening Christmas presents together. So many good days that she had no memory of. If only this had actually been her life.

"Are you okay, love?" Stef asked as she noticed the look on Callie's face.

She tried to discreetly wipe her eyes. "Yeah, fine."

Stef sat down next to her and put her arm around her shoulders. "It's good to be home, huh, sweetheart?"

Callie nodded. "It really is."

* * *

**TBC...**


	6. Changes

_**CHAPTER FIVE: CHANGES**_

Callie got a nap and was feeling a little better by the time her siblings came through the door after school. "Welcome home," Lena told her as she and the kids came into the living room. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Can I sign your cast?" Jude asked his sister.

"It's 'may I'," Lena corrected him.

"Okay, may I?"

Callie shrugged. "Sure, bud. You have a marker?" He ran off into the kitchen to find one.

"I want to sign, too," Jesus told her.

"Me, too," Mariana added.

"Okay, but then all of you need to get to work on homework," Lena told them.

"I barely have any," Mariana replied. "I can get it done quick later. Can I stay down here a little bit?"

"Fine. But it better get done." Lena then headed into the kitchen.

Jude carefully wrote his name and a smiley face on his sister's cast, then handed the marker to Jesus. "Do you need help with your homework?" Callie asked her little brother.

He shook his head. "I can do it."

"Are you sure?"

Jude gave her a Look that instantly reminded her of Stef. "I got straight As the last three periods. I can do my own homework."

Callie was momentarily taken aback. In the real world, she didn't think Jude had ever gotten an A in school, let alone in every single class. He'd always struggled and she'd always done her best to help him (usually at the expense of her own grades, not that she really cared). Even though the academic success was exactly what she would have wished for him, it hurt slightly that he didn't need her help anymore. She'd loved that time they'd spent together. For practically as long as she could remember, her life had revolved around him.

"We'll see you later," Jesus told her as he gave Mariana the marker and then he and Jude headed up the staircase to start their homework.

Mariana sat on the couch with her sister. "So, you want the latest?"

"Latest what?"

"On what's happening at school!"

"Oh. Sure."

She pretended to listen as Mariana prattled on about a girl that had caught her boyfriend kissing another girl in a hallway, a kid that had been hit straight in the face with a volleyball during gym, and a teacher that had their car spray painted in the parking lot. In the real world, Callie had never been part of the 'in-crowd' at Anchor Beach, so she barely recognized any of the names and certainly didn't care about the gossip. But she did her best to nod and or make a noise of surprise at the appropriate places in the conversation. And she noticed when Mariana suddenly went quiet and contemplative.

"What's wrong?"

She forced a smile. "It's nothing."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Obviously not."

Mariana glanced toward the kitchen to make sure that Lena was still occupied. "You promise you won't tell the Moms?"

Callie knew that keeping something from the Moms for Mariana usually led to nothing but trouble, but still found herself agreeing to her sister's request. "Okay."

"I found my birth mom online."

Callie frowned. "What?"

"I know, I know. I'd asked the Moms to look into finding her, but... I wanted to do this myself, you know?"

"How did you find her?"

"Searching some records and stuff. I've been talking to her on IM."

"Mariana..."

"It's fine. She's cool. She wants to meet with me."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"She's my mom," Mariana replied, as if that explained everything. As if the woman hadn't cared more about her next fix than the safety of her children. As if she hadn't abandoned them without a fight to the state. As if she hadn't been MIA for more than half of their lives.

"You already have two moms," Callie pointed out. Mariana at least had the sense to look a little bit chastened.

"Yeah, I know."

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will."

* * *

As promised, Mike brought over takeout for dinner, and everyone sat around in the living room to eat so that Callie wouldn't have to get up. She noticed that after they'd finished, Mike and Stef had a hushed but heated conversation in the kitchen. Both of them glanced her away just often enough to make her feel nervous.

Once Mike had left, Callie got sidetracked from finding out what was going on when Jude decided to take his role as her 'helper' very seriously. He brought down some of her things from the bathroom - including her toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair stuff - and insisted that he was going to tuck her in for the night. Callie couldn't remember the last time that someone had tucked her into bed, and very much appreciated the sweet gesture.

She tried not to let Jude see how much limping to and from the hall bathroom hurt. Stef stuck around to help her walk, but she let Jude take the lead. The little boy very carefully spread out Callie's blanket, then made sure it was tucked around her on the couch.

"Are you comfy?" he asked.

Callie smiled. "I am. Thank you, buddy."

"Okay. You can read for thirty minutes and then lights out," he told her in his best impression of Lena. Callie and Stef both laughed.

"Will do, sir, thank you. Sleep well, Jude."

"You, too. G'night, Mom," he added for Stef as he left.

"Goodnight, baby-boy. Sweet dreams" Once they were alone, Stef sat on the edge of the coffee table next to Callie. "He's something, huh?"

"Yeah... So I saw you and M - I mean, Dad. You and Dad were talking earlier." The title sounded strange coming out of her mouth.

Stef nodded. "Yeah. Dad's not happy with any of us at the moment. And just for the record, Mama and I aren't exactly happy with you, but we think you've been punished enough already."

Callie wasn't sure what was going on, but decided to play along. "Okay..."

"You know that if you'd made it back home unscathed after sneaking out - again - you would be SERIOUSLY grounded right now, right?" Stef asked.

Sneaking out? Where did I go? But she couldn't actually ask that question. "Yeah, I know."

"Seriously grounded," she repeated for emphasis. "You've gotta talk to us, Cal. In all likelihood, no, we would not have agreed to going to a party on a school night, but that doesn't mean you get to just go around us. We have rules because we're trying to keep you guys safe. I don't know what else to do to get you to understand that. I hope that ending up in the hospital has at least made some impact."

Callie looked away. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

Stef nodded, accepting that. "Okay. You may want to apologize to Mama tomorrow, too. You almost gave her a heart attack when the police called."

"I will."

Stef kissed her forehead, then got up to leave. "Thirty minutes and then lights out," she reminded her.

Callie laid back against her pillow with a sigh. Sneaking out for a party wasn't something she'd normally think of doing. The risks were too high. Disobeying your foster parents could easily result in either physical abuse or getting kicked out of the house. She tried not to take those kinds of chances, for Jude's sake. But in this reality, she didn't have the same concerns. She'd had it so much easier, with three parents in her life, for better or worse. The idea that she apparently had no problem abusing their trust didn't sit well with her. What kind of person was she here?

Maybe her ideal life wasn't so ideal after all...

* * *

**TBC...**


	7. Company

A/N: This wasn't my original idea for this chapter, but there is nothing I love more than when a review provides inspiration. So, thank you to Depthsofthemind and I hope you like it.

* * *

_**CHAPTER SIX: COMPANY**_

**Meanwhile in the real world...**

Stef held Callie's unbroken left hand in both of hers as she watched the teen sleep in her hospital room. It had been two days since the accident and Callie hadn't woken up yet. The doctors had taken her back into emergency surgery the previous day for internal bleeding, which had made for a nerve-wracking few hours. Even now, as she was supposedly recovering, the young girl looked battered, broken, and deathly pale.

Stef looked up as she heard the door open. Lena gave her wife a soft smile as she came inside. "Morning."

"Good morning, my love," Stef replied.

They shared a kiss before Lena sat down in the second chair beside the bed. "How is she?"

"Nothing new since last night." She glanced over at her wife and frowned slightly. "How are you? You look totally exhausted."

Lena forced a smile. "It was a rough night. Jude had a nightmare..."

# ^ # ^ # # ^ # ^ #

_In the middle of the night, Lena awoke to the sound of screams. "No! No! Callie!" a little voice was yelling from down the hall. She jumped out of bed and ran out of her and Stef's room. Jesus and Brandon almost simultaneously appeared in their doorways._

_"What happened?" Brandon asked._

_"I don't know."_

_Jesus pointed to the girls' room. "He's in there."_

_In Callie and Mariana's room, Jude was kneeling on the floor beside the bed, bawling his eyes out. "No!" he kept crying. "No! No!" Mariana was sitting up in her bed, watching him with wide, worried eyes._

_Lena knelt beside the little boy. "Honey, it's okay," she told him as she wrapped her arms around him. "You're okay." But Jude fought her, trying his hardest to push his way out of her embrace._

_"I want Callie!" he cried. "No! I want Callie!"_

_"She's not here, sweetheart," Lena told him, but that just seemed to make things worse._

_"She promised!" Jude sobbed. "She promised she wouldn't leave me!"_

_"She's going to be okay," Jesus assured him as he joined them on the floor. "She'll get better. She knows that you're waiting for her."_

_Jude looked up at him with watery eyes as he finally stopped fighting. "Where is she?"_

_"She's at the hospital, remember?" Lena gently reminded him. "They're helping her to get better."_

_Jude took a couple deep breaths and slowly began to calm down, clinging to his foster mother. Lena gently rocked him back and forth to soothe him, quietly humming a song that she used to sing for the twins when they were small. "I had a dream," Jude softly revealed between sniffles, "That she had died."_

_Lena's heart broke, knowing he had thought the worst when he came in and found Callie's empty bed. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry."_

_"Callie's going to get better," Brandon spoke up as he and Mariana both also knelt on the floor. "She has to, right?" Jude sniffled and nodded._

# ^ # ^ # # ^ # ^ #

"Wow," Stef whispered as Lena finished telling the story.

"I know," she replied. "I cried right along with him a bit. He's so completely terrified of losing her."

"We're all scared of losing her," her wife pointed out as she turned back toward their foster daughter. Callie had flatlined at one point when she was first brought to the hospital, but something had kept her with them. Stef hadn't believed in a higher power for years, but something had let the girl beside her survive more than any person ought to have to.

"Eventually he fell asleep in my arms," Lena continued. "I left him in Callie's bed; I figured being in her blankets would comfort him. And the rest of the kids were able to go back to sleep, too. They were so great; none of them said a word this morning about being tired."

"This proves we made the right decision last night," Stef realized. "We shouldn't have brought them yesterday, especially Jude." All of the kids had come along with them to the hospital to wait for word, but it had been a long, torturous experience. Jesus and Mariana had started bickering at one point, just from nerves fraying. Jude had been absolutely silent for hours. After seeing how worn out and anxious they all looked, the Moms had decided that the kids needed to go back to attending their summer program.

Lena nodded slowly. "None of them wanted to go to school this morning, though. Pretending everything is normal isn't going to work."

"They don't have to pretend everything is normal. But at least they'll have something else to think about. And they can talk to their friends about what they're thinking and feeling."

"They still need to see Callie, though. Even if it is hard. They want to be together with us. I was thinking I'd pick them up at 3 and bring them here. Let them sit and talk to her. The doctor said it might help her."

Stef nodded. "I know. That's why we're here with her all the time."

"You could go home with the rest of the kids tonight and I'll stay," Lena offered. "We can just switch off."

"Okay."

They sat in silence together for a long moment, just watching Callie. "She really could have died," Lena finally whispered. Callie had come into their lives so quickly and unexpectedly. It seemed unfathomable that she could have left the same way.

Stef twined their fingers together. "She's a fighter," she reminded her wife. "Our strong little girl that never gives up. She'll be okay."

* * *

Spending the day at school actually did turn out to be a decent distraction for the rest of the kids. They couldn't forget about what was happening to their family, but it wasn't always their first thought.

At lunchtime, Brandon decided to go see how Jude was doing. He knew that Callie would normally check in on her little brother at some point during the day, just to see what he was up to and make sure he knew he wasn't forgotten. Brandon felt like he should take over for her; he'd been quietly struggling with guilt about his role in her accident. If he'd just gone and gotten Callie when he was supposed to, she would have been fine. The extra half-hour that he had spent with his father wasn't worth what Jude and the Moms were going through. He needed to be a better brother now to make up for it.

As Brandon approached the cafeteria for the primary school, he was surprised to see Jesus and Mariana walking down a hallway toward him. "Hey," he greeted his siblings. "What's going on?"

"We figured we'd go say hi to Jude," Jesus told him. "You know, make sure he's okay."

He smiled. "I guess we can all have lunch together."

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Jude was sitting at a table, just picking at his sandwich. Connor was next to him, but seemed unsure what to do or say. "Hey, kid," Jesus told his little brother as he sat down next to him.

Jude looked up in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought we'd come eat with you," Mariana told him as she also sat down.

"You don't have to," Jude softly assured them.

Brandon ruffled his hair as he took a seat. "We know. We wanted to."

Jude looked around at all of them. He hadn't ever been able to depend on anyone except Callie to always be there for him. But in her absence, he was discovering how much his other siblings cared. "Thanks," he whispered with a small smile.

Jesus opened his lunch bag and held up his sandwich. "I'll trade you half of my ham and cheese for half of your PBJ?" he offered to his little brother.

"Why didn't you just get Mama to make you PBJ?" Mariana asked her twin.

He shrugged. "Because I wanted half of each."

"You can get a better deal than that," Connor encouraged his friend. Jude thought about it for a moment.

"Okay, I'll trade," he told Jesus. "But I want to switch chips, too."

* * *

**TBC...**


	8. Cliques

_**CHAPTER SEVEN: CLIQUES**_

In her dream world, Callie spent the rest of the week taking it easy at home. Eventually she started getting really bored with sitting around working on homework and watching TV, so Lena and Stef decided she could go back to school. Callie had to promise that she'd go see Lena if she thought she was overdoing it, but she'd started sleeping upstairs again and was getting around pretty well on her own. She didn't think she'd have any problems.

As the kids walked through Anchor Bay's main entrance, Callie was surprised when Talya approached her. "Hey, welcome back," the red-head told her with a grin.

"Um, thanks." Her confusion deepened as Talya linked arms with her as they walked down the hall toward their lockers. _Are we actually friends here?_ she wondered. They were civil to each other in the real world, but that was mostly because Talya had changed since Callie first met her. In this reality, if Talya was still the kind of girl she'd originally been and the two of them were best friends... that gave Callie a better understanding of her actions before the accident.

"You missed a great weekend," Talya reported. "We had a huge bonfire on the beach - and there was a keg. And then afterwards, since my parents were gone, Wyatt came back to my place." She grinned brightly. "He was totally worth the wait... not that we really waited that long, actually."

"Wow," was all Callie could think to say. She knew that Talya had dated Wyatt at one point, but hadn't ever thought she'd be hearing the details from her.

The other girl's smile took on a slightly mischievous edge. "I told you I had a plan for him. Hey, how come you don't have makeup on? And what are you wearing?"

_Makeup? For school? And what's wrong with my clothes?_ Callie's normal attire was just jeans and t-shirts - something she hadn't found a lot of in her closet. When she was getting dressed that morning, her options had looked more like Mariana's clothes than the wardrobe she was used to. She'd picked something easy and comfortable, but it seemed like her choice didn't meet expectations. "Well, with just one arm, I wasn't really worrying about it," she tried to explain, indicating her cast.

"Oh. You should get Mariana to help you, then."

"Yeah, maybe." The bell rang, warning everyone that first period was starting in a few minutes. "I should get to class," Callie said, untwining her arm from the other girl's.

"Since when do you care about class?"

"Well... I got off easy from the Moms, so I'm trying to stay on their good sides."

Talya laughed as she headed toward her own classroom. "Yeah, like that ever lasts more than a week!"

* * *

Callie was very happy to discover that her class schedule was taped to the inside cover of one of her notebooks; she wouldn't have had any idea where she was going otherwise. Math was first period, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw that her second period was an advanced music class. Was she supposed to be some kind of prodigy like Brandon was?

"Welcome back, Callie," her teacher told her as she came in the room.

"Um, thanks."

The woman looked down at her arm. "Although I have a feeling you're just going to be turning this period into a study hall until you get that cast off, huh?"

_Saved by the broken wrist..._ "Yeah, sorry."

"That's fine. I can complete your grade for the period based on your work for the spring concert. And maybe with a little time away from playing, you'll reconsider auditioning for the summer institute at the University? I keep telling Lena that you've got way too much talent not to be developing it." Callie just forced a smile and quickly found a desk in the corner to sit at.

She knew that, in the real world, Brandon had attended several local music programs and auditioned with various exceptional teachers in the area. He and the twins had interests that Stef and Lena encouraged. Callie had assumed that the moms hadn't been pressuring her or Jude about extracurriculars because they were just the foster kids. But they didn't seem to be any more forceful with her here. Could it be that the pressure on Brandon for playing the piano or Jesus for sports actually came from the kids themselves? That the Moms were just trying to support what they thought their kids wanted? Perhaps the expectations were a little more fair and even than she'd thought.

* * *

At lunchtime, Talya spotted her in the cafeteria and Callie got sucked into eating outside at a table with her supposed best friend and their comrades. She had wanted to go see her little brother, but it looked like that would have to wait.

"So I've heard there's going to be another party on the beach this weekend," Talya informed everyone. "Some guys from USD are setting it up. Swimsuits are the preferred attire."

The other girls all smiled. "We'll be there."

Talya turned to Callie. "You should wear that blue bikini you got last summer."

"Um, actually, I don't think I'm going to go."

"Why not? You're always up for beach parties, especially with college guys."

"Yeah, well... I still get tired pretty easily. And I don't think the cast goes well with a bathing suit." She held up her right arm. _If it didn't hurt, this would be the world's best get-out-of-jail-free card_, she thought.

"That's true," one of the other girls agreed with a nod. "Especially with all that stuff all over it. Did some little kid scribble on you?"

Callie looked down at her cast. "No. My brothers and sister signed it."

"Oh... Why?"

Callie was about to give her a choice retort but didn't get the chance. Someone bumped into her as they slid into the space between her and Talya, and she turned around to see that it was Wyatt.

"Hey, babe," he told Talya before kissing her. That was the last straw; Callie wasn't going to stay there any longer.

"I'll see you guys later," she said as she started to get up.

"Where are you going?" Talya asked.

"Lena - I mean, my mom wanted me to check in with her at lunchtime, just to see how I'm doing." The lie rolled off her tongue so easily.

"Seriously?"

Callie faked a smile. "Yeah. So overprotective, right?"

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Once she got back inside the building, she headed for the section of the school that housed the primary school students. Jude's classroom wasn't hard to find, and she smiled as she saw him attentively listening while his teacher spoke and made notes on the board. It really was great to see him as a good student.

After a minute, Jude happened to look in her direction and saw her by the window. Callie offered him a little wave, but he frowned and motioned for her to go away. In this reality, he was an independent boy and didn't need his big sister checking up on him.

Slightly stunned, Callie nodded and turned away. She'd spent so many years wishing with all of her heart that Jude hadn't gone through the things that they'd endured. She still wished that were true, but she'd never considered that without their shared traumatic history, they wouldn't be as close or protective of each other. It wasn't possible to cherry pick the aspects of him that she wanted to keep or throw away. Without all of it, he wasn't her Jude. And in that moment, she really missed her little brother.

* * *

Jude had drama club after school, so Callie, Jesus, and Mariana walked home without him. Normally Lena would drive them, but she'd left school sometime after lunch and none of the kids knew where she'd gone.

"How'd your math test go?" Mariana asked her brother as they approached the house. Jesus didn't answer. "That bad?"

"Shut up, Miss Perfect."

"You're gonna get it when Mama finds out."

"I did the best I could! I just don't get algebra."

"Mari, leave him alone," Callie told her younger sister. She seemed to take a little too much pleasure in getting better grades than her twin.

"Oh, great, she's already home," Jesus muttered as he realized that Lena's car was in the driveway. When they came inside, they could hear her talking to someone in the kitchen. Callie followed the twins toward the back of the house, and froze in shock when she saw who was sitting at the table with Lena.

Brandon.

* * *

**TBC...**


	9. Contempt

_**CHAPTER EIGHT: CONTEMPT**_

Lena looked up as she heard the kids coming into the kitchen. "Hey, guys."

"Hey. Who's this?" Jesus asked, indicating the unfamiliar face in the room.

"This is Brandon," she replied. "He's going to be staying here a few weeks. Brandon, this is Jesus, Mariana, and Callie."

He just looked at the three of them, but didn't say a word.

"Hey," Jesus attempted to be social, to no avail.

Lena didn't let the awkward silence linger. "Um, can you guys go work on homework? I'll call you when dinner's almost ready."

"Okay," Jesus agreed.

"I got an A on my math test," Mariana announced, knowing full well where it would lead.

"Good job! Jesus, how about you?"

He glared at his sister. "I didn't get an A."

Lena knew what that meant. "Okay, we'll go over it together later."

The threesome headed up the staircase to their rooms. Once they were out of earshot of their mother, Jesus poked his twin in the shoulder. "Ow," she cried. "What was that for?"

"You know what it was for. Thanks a lot."

Mariana shrugged, seemingly innocent. "She was going to find out anyway."

* * *

An hour later, Lena called for them to help in the kitchen. The lasagna was almost done and she needed help putting together a salad and getting the table set. Stef was supposed to be home with Jude soon and they could all eat. Brandon was still just sitting at the table, and Callie tried to avoid his gaze as she set plates out.

"You know, Mariana and Jesus were in the foster program, too," Lena spoke up when the tension in the kitchen got too thick to stand. "They came to us eight years ago and we formally adopted them..." She looked to the twins. "Five?" she asked.

Mariana nodded in agreement. "Five years ago."

Lena shook her head in disbelief. "Wow, time goes fast."

"The foster system sucks," Jesus commented, again trying to connect with the newcomer.

"Hey!" Lena scolded.

"He's right, it kinda does," Mariana backed her brother up.

"Okay, okay."

"What happened to your face?" Jesus asked Brandon, noticing the bruises and split lip he was sporting. "Did you get in a fight?"

"All right, Brandon's had a rough day," Lena cut in, "So how about you cool it with the third degree?"

"Where's the bathroom?" Brandon abruptly asked. It was the first time that any of the kids had actually heard him talk.

"It's right through there, you'll see it," Lena pointed. He passed Callie on his way out of the room, and their eyes met for a moment, but she quickly looked away. The only thing weirder than figuring out she had taken his place in this family was discovering that he had taken hers. She wouldn't wish her life on anyone.

Once he was out of the room, Mariana felt free to pick up Jesus' inquisition. "So, where did he come from?" she asked Lena.

"I talked to Bill from Child Protective Services. I called to talk to him about something and he was in a bind with Brandon. Needed a place for him to stay."

"Random," Jesus commented.

Lena raised an eyebrow. "He's had a rough time lately, so I really need you guys to be extra nice, okay? All of you?" They nodded.

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

When Brandon came back, Callie could feel his eyes on her. "Where'd they get you?" he finally asked with a smirk. "The 99 cent store?"

She had been almost certain those words were coming - so far the scene was playing out just like it had in the real world - and yet she was still taken by surprise. The question severely marginalized how much work went into making that family function, as if picking up kids was just as easy as picking up groceries. "No," was all she told him.

"Callie is my partner, Stefanie's biological daughter from her previous marriage," Lena explained.

And right on cue, Stef and Jude arrived through the kitchen door. "Food!" Jude happily cried when he saw that dinner was already on the table.

Jesus laughed as the younger boy took a seat next to him. "Yeah, here," he said as he put a serving of lasagna on Jude's plate.

"Smells great," Stef told Lena as she came over and gave her a kiss. "Hi, babies!" she called to her older three kids as she got a can of beer out of the fridge. She got a chorus of hellos in response.

Brandon had watched the whole scene play out in silence, and now Callie assumed that he was about to make the same observation that she had in his place. She'd been dreading this moment ever since she first saw him sitting in the kitchen.

"So you're dykes."

The statement - it was more of a statement than a question - seemed so incredibly harsh and blunt. Callie flushed scarlet at the knowledge that it had once come out of her own mouth.

Lena intently focused on the salad that she was mixing up. Stef momentarily froze with her can halfway to her mouth, then decided to go ahead and drink it to keep from saying something she shouldn't. Callie expected to see anger or hurt on their faces, but they hid it well. The words had to hurt - she hated herself for hurting them! - but they did a heroic job of not letting it show.

"They prefer the term 'people'," Jesus jumped in with a well-practiced response, "But yeah, they're gay." Callie didn't know how he could hold back his anger and disgust; she barely was.

"So, she's the real kid," Brandon continued, looking to Callie. "What's he?" He indicated Jude, who paused with a forkful of lasagna halfway to his mouth.

Brandon was perfectly copying a defense mechanism that Callie had developed; she'd initially think of the staff at a group home or the members of a new foster family as nothing more than numbers. The latest in her tally of temporary caregivers that had floated in and out of her life. Until they figured out whether she'd be staying or not, there was no point in seeing them as real people that she could get attached to. But she hadn't realized just how absolutely callous it sounded.

Stef let out a forced laugh as she looked to Lena. "Who's this?" she tensely asked her wife.

"Uh, this is Brandon. Bill had an emergency and asked if we'd take him for a little bit."

Stef took another swig of her beer. "I see."

"We're all real kids," Jude felt the need to pipe up. "We just got here in different ways." Lena smiled at him as she brushed his hair back from his face. Brandon simply shrugged and started eating.

"Um, Mama and I will be right back," Stef told the kids as she pulled Lena along behind her to go have a parents-only conversation on the back patio.

Callie got up from the table. "I'm going upstairs," she informed her siblings.

"What about dinner?" Jude asked.

Food and continuing to sit in that room were the last things she wanted. "I'm not hungry anymore."

* * *

**TBC...**


	10. Cognizance

**A/N: As always, thank you guys for all of the feedback. Always puts a smile on my face.**

* * *

_**CHAPTER NINE: COGNIZANCE**_

It took a little while for Callie to calm down after she left the kitchen. One of the things that she regretted most about the past few years was how she had treated Lena and Stef when she first arrived in their home. At the time, she'd had no way of knowing how amazing they would be to her, but now she could recognize that they hadn't deserved her attitude at all. A new wave of fear washed over her as she realized that they could have sent her away that night, and she never would have had the chance to become part of their family. Not that she wouldn't have deserved it. Everything that had happened in the kitchen reinforced her guilt and self-loathing. It had been even worse than her memories.

The sound of a knock on her door broke her out of her reverie. "Hey," Stef said as she came in the room. "Are you okay?"

Callie shook her head. "No."

Stef joined her on the bed. "What's the matter, love?"

She looked up incredulously. "Really?"

Stef sighed. "Come on, sweetheart. This definitely isn't the first time that any of us have heard comments like that."

Callie didn't want to imagine how much verbal abuse the moms had received over the years. It seemed so much worse that it had happened in their own home. "I don't care."

Stef held her unbroken hand. "Let it go, Cal. Mama and I need you to help us out while Brandon's here."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you're still recovering, but a broken wrist doesn't keep you from being a friend to someone."

"After all that?" _Is she serious? Isn't she mad, too?_

"Yes, even after... that. I have a feeling he didn't really mean it, just was trying for the biggest possible reaction from us. It was quite a show, but you all handled it very nicely, especially Jesus."

Callie frowned a little. When it had been her sitting in that chair and saying those awful things, she hadn't actually had a problem with the moms or the kids - she hadn't even known them yet. But how did the moms know that? "How do you know he didn't mean it?"

Stef smiled. "If you got dropped down with a bunch of people you knew nothing about, wouldn't you want to find out where the line is going to get drawn? We'll make sure he knows rudeness isn't acceptable, but it's also not going to send us straight to his social worker. If he's willing to tough it out, so are we." Callie was stunned speechless. From day one, the moms had given her far more of a chance than anyone else ever had. Why hadn't she seen it? Why hadn't she been able to respond in kind?

Mariana came in the room, dressed in pajamas. "Hey, sweetheart," Stef greeted her. "You finished your English assignment, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Hey, it's part of being a mother - I have to check." Stef got up and started to leave, but stopped. "Oh, one other thing. You know that what Brandon said isn't true, right? All of you are my babies. I have two daughters and two sons and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything."

Mariana just shrugged. "Yeah, Mom, I know."

"Okay. Goodnight, loves."

Callie eyed her sister curiously as Mariana curled up in bed and started reading a book. The younger girl's instantaneous response to Stef's question had surprised her. Was she just telling her mom what she thought she wanted to hear? Or did Mariana really and truly believe in their love that strongly? Callie couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have such faith - but then again, she'd never been with a family like the Fosters before.

To her, it was obvious that the various children under that roof were very different from each other. A biological child not only shared blood with their parents, but had a complete lifetime of memories. Being a step-child meant extra complications, but also multiplied the number of people looking out for you. For adopted children, there was a line between their previous lives and their new lives. Nothing would ever erase that, and she imagined it would always create a divide in the family.

But Callie was beginning to think that maybe she was wrong. Maybe all of those prefixes - step, adopted, biological, foster - were just a matter of perception? If you looked the right way - looked at the things that brought them together instead of split them apart - maybe those lines could disappear.

"What is it?" Mariana asked when she realized Callie was staring at her.

"Nothing. I guess I should go get ready for bed, too."

* * *

Long after Mariana had closed her book and the lights had been turned out, Callie laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. She was actually starting to wish that she could escape her dream world and go back to the real one. Previously, she'd never had a life good enough to want that.

This reality was what she'd thought she always wanted: being part of a real family, one that would be hers forever. Now Callie was starting to see that she already had that. The only difference here was that they'd had more time together, but she would have plenty of time for making memories in the real world. She'd worried that she would always be looked at differently than the other Foster kids, but part of that was her own fault. Everyone was right there waiting for her, and she still kept them at arms length. That practice had let her survive her childhood in the foster care system, but now it prevented them from becoming the close family she'd always wanted. The change would open her up to the possibility of getting hurt, but she was starting to realize she had to take the risk. It would be worth it.

_I wish I could go home,_ she thought to herself as she started to drift off to sleep. _I'm ready to go back now. I want to go home..._

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

When Callie's eyes fluttered open again, she wasn't in her bedroom at the house. She was in a dimly lit hospital room, and she inwardly sighed as she realized that she was about to go through the pain of recovering from her injuries all over again.

It was nighttime and initially seemed like she was alone in the room. As her mind began to clear and her eyes focussed, she saw that Stef was asleep in an uncomfortable-looking chair beside her bed. Callie weakly reached for her hand with her uninjured left arm. The light touch instantly awakened the blonde, although it took her a moment to realize what had happened. Once Stef saw that Callie's eyes were watching her, she sat forward with a smile.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," she whispered as she brushed Callie's hair back. "We were wondering when you were going to wake up."

Callie smiled a little. "Hi."

"Hi, there. Are you hurting? Do you want me to get the doctor?"

She shook her head. Her arm, leg, and chest ached, but it wasn't quite as bad as she'd been expecting. And she really didn't want Stef to leave her. "I-I'm okay." Stef smiled and kissed her forehead, and Callie was surprised to see the tears in her foster mother's eyes. "Don't cry."

Stef wiped her face. "Sorry, love," she whispered. "It's just that Lena and I were so worried about you."

Callie frowned. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, sweetheart. And it's all in the past now. You're not allowed to leave us, you know. You still have a very long life to live."

There was nowhere she would rather be. "I know, Mom."

Stef froze and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Did you just..."

Callie turned shy as she realized what she'd said. The title had become habit in her dream, but it still felt right now. "Yeah... Is that okay?"

Stef's eyes were once again full of tears as she smiled. "It's more than okay, love."

* * *

_**TBC...**_


	11. Contrition

_**CHAPTER TEN: CONTRITION**_

When Brandon's alarm clock went off in the morning, he laid back in bed after turning it off. He needed a minute to prepare himself for the coming day.

The household had had a new routine for the past week since Callie's accident. When the kids woke up, while they waited for their turn in the bathroom, they would check in with whichever Mom was home for word on Callie's condition. So far, the answer was always 'no change.' Breakfast would consist of just cold cereal. Today, there'd probably be fruit to eat, too, since Lena was home. She was more organized in the mornings than Stef. But there hadn't been any big breakfasts with eggs and bacon or pancakes since 'that day.' Nobody had the energy.

Once they ate, the kids would get dropped off at Anchor Beach; it was the Moms' best idea for how to distract them during the day. After a couple days, Brandon agreed that it was better than sitting around at the hospital, but only marginally. The evening would be their only chance to see both of the Moms at the same time; they'd visit Callie and eat dinner in the hospital cafeteria. Even Stef could cook better than that slop, but at least they would all be together. Except for Callie. He thought it was so strange; they used to be a very complete family of five, and now it seemed totally foreign to not have seven chairs at a table.

Brandon sighed as he finally got up out of bed. Lena was out in the hallway. "Morning," she told him.

"Morning. Any news?"

"Not yet. I already saw Jesus; can you check on Mariana and Jude? I'm going to get breakfast together."

Brandon nodded. Since only one of the moms was at home in the mornings or evenings, he had become the 'second parent' for the family. He was proud that the moms depended on him to help take care of his siblings. They trusted him to make sure no one kept hitting the snooze button and to keep everyone together while they were at the hospital. They'd told him some details about Callie's condition that they hadn't shared with the younger kids for fear of freaking them out. It made him feel bad that he'd ever doubted his moms.

When Brandon passed Jesus and Jude's room, he could see that the older of the two was pulling together clothes for the day, but the younger was nowhere to be seen. "Is Jude in the bathroom?"

"Don't think so. Did you check the girls' room?" Jesus asked as he went to get a shower.

Brandon went to look, and sure enough, Jude was asleep in Callie's bed. "I'll wake him up in a minute," Mariana whispered when she saw her big brother was standing in the doorway. "He had a nightmare again."

Snuggled up with his sister's blanket, Jude looked impossibly young and innocent. This was the third morning that he'd ended up sleeping in that bed. The second time he had the same horrible nightmare, he'd again woken up the whole household with his cries. To everyone's great surprise, Mariana had started consoling him before Stef could. Jude had seemed to connect with her and calmed down pretty quickly. Last night, Brandon hadn't heard anything; Mariana had dealt with it by herself.

"Thanks for taking care of him," he told his sister.

She shrugged. "He's my little brother. What was I supposed to do?"

He smiled. They'd all seemed to enjoy looking out for Jude; he was so kind and appreciative. Brandon and the twins were very close in age, so having a noticeably younger sibling was a new experience for all of them. "I'll wake him up," he offered. "You can have the bathroom next." Mariana didn't need to be told twice; she started getting her things together.

Brandon knelt by Jude's bed and gently shook his shoulder. "Hey, buddy, you gotta wake up now."

Jude sleepily rubbed his eyes. "I had a dream Callie was home," he said with a little smile as he sat up.

"Well... not yet, but hopefully she will be soon."

"I don't want to go to school today," Jude declared. "I want to go to the hospital with Lena. I want to be with Callie." He hated being separated from his big sister. Nothing good had ever happened in their lives when they weren't together. They were supposed to be each other's protectors.

"Let's go talk to her," Brandon offered. "We'll see what she says."

* * *

Lena was ending a call on her cell phone as Brandon and Jude entered the kitchen. A few boxes of cereal and a jug of milk were already on the table. "Hey, guys," she greeted them.

"I don't want to go to school," Jude cut right to the chase. "I want to go with you and be with Callie. Please don't make me go."

Lena smiled. "Okay."

Jude paused; that response had come a lot easier than he'd thought it would. "Really?"

"Really. We're all going to go over to the hospital as soon as we finish eating. Stef just called; Callie woke up in the middle of the night."

The little boy's eyes were as big as saucers. "She did?!"

"Yep."

"So she'll be okay?"

"Yeah, honey, she's going to be fine." Jude pumped his fist as he jumped in the air with a little whoop. Lena laughed, some of the tension from the week melting away.

"Why didn't Mom call us earlier?" Brandon asked her.

"At three AM? She correctly assumed that we all needed some sleep. She and Callie also slept the rest of the night. Once we all have breakfast, we'll head over to see her." Lena smiled as both boys instantly grabbed cereal boxes and started pouring themselves bowls. "Don't you both still need to get dressed?" she asked.

Brandon shrugged. "This is faster. We can do it after we eat."

* * *

Technically, Callie was only supposed to have two visitors in her room at a time, but the whole Foster family slipped in together. Callie was glad to see all of them, especially Brandon. His presence was proof that she was back to her real life.

Jude started to dash over to the bed, but Stef caught him around the waist. "Whoa, buddy. Go easy with your sister, okay? She's been through a lot."

"I will," he promised, and crossed the room more slowly once he was released. "I missed you," he told Callie. She could see the tears in his eyes and tried to smile reassuringly.

"It's okay, baby-boy. I'm right here. I missed you, too." Just breathing hurt, let alone moving, but she couldn't let Jude see that. He'd been scared enough already. Unlike in her dream world, her little brother hadn't been raised happy or secure in anything except her love for him.

Lena crouched beside Jude. "You said that you were going to help get Callie better, right?" she asked, trying to distract him from re-living the fear of the past week.

Jude nodded. "I made your bed so you can rest. And I can do your chores and write for you until your cast comes off."

Lena lovingly ruffled his hair. "Our special child who doesn't mind chores."

As Jude smiled up at his foster mother, Callie realized that for the first time in their lives, he would be okay without her. He'd be sad, of course, but eventually he'd be all right because he would be cared for and safe. That was something she'd never been able to guarantee before. They had a wonderful family now, and Jude had the chance to become the kid she had seen in her dream.

"If you love them so much, you can have my chores, too," Jesus teased his little brother. "When are you going to come home?" he then asked Callie.

"Her doctor isn't sure yet," Stef answered for her, "But it'll likely be a few more days."

"You looked scary bad that first night," Mariana commented.

"Mariana!" Lena scolded.

"Well, she did!"

Stef noticed that Callie had been smiling softly through the whole exchange. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Deja vu." She then noticed that everyone was staring at her in confusion. "Nevermind. Don't mind the girl with the head injury."

* * *

Callie still got tired easily, and soon drifted off to sleep. When she woke up from her nap, Brandon was the only one in the room with her. "Where did Moms and everybody go?" she asked.

"Down to the cafeteria for lunch. They'll probably be back soon... When did you start calling them Mom?"

Callie shrugged. "I don't know. Now, I guess... Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. They're your moms, too. Or at least they will be."

"Are you still mad?" she tentatively asked.

Brandon sighed. "I wasn't mad at you. Or Jude. It was just... it was stupid. It doesn't matter anymore. But I'm really sorry I didn't come pick you up. I never thought all this would happen."

Callie shrugged slightly. "I could have waited for you."

"You shouldn't have had to."

"It's not your fault," she persisted. "Okay?"

Brandon nodded. "All right. I'm really glad you're okay, and I'm glad you're staying. After everything, I can't imagine what things would be like without you around."

She smiled. "You won't have to find out."

At that moment, the door opened, and the rest of their family returned. Jude joined Brandon beside Callie's bed. "Can I sign your cast?" he asked his sister.

"May I," Lena corrected him. Jude sighed.

"Yeah, they both do that all the time," Brandon stage whispered to him.

"I heard that," Stef told her oldest. The kids all laughed.

"Do you have a marker?" Callie asked her little brother. He held up a blue Sharpie. "Okay, have at it."

"I'm next," Jesus piped up.

"Me, too," Mariana and Brandon said at the same time, then laughed.

Callie smiled as she watched all of them. This was where she belonged. They weren't perfect, but she didn't need that. She just needed what every kid does - a home.

* * *

_**A/N: Almost to the end; only one chapter left...**_


	12. Epilogue

_**THREE MONTHS LATER...**_

Stef knocked on each of the doors to her children's rooms and waited to hear any signs of life from the other sides. "It is 7:15," she loudly announced. "Everyone needs to get up."

Brandon's door opened. "I'm up," he told her as he sleepily trudged to the bathroom.

"Morning, sunshine. Jesus, Jude, Mariana, Callie... Rise and shine, guys!"

"Don't wanna," she heard Mariana whine through the door.

"Did everyone forget what today is?" Stef called. There was a moment of silence, and then two more doors opened, revealing her other four children.

"It's our Adoption Day!" Jude realized.

"Yes, it is, love. Everybody - including me - needs to get showered and dressed. Mama's got breakfast going downstairs. We need to leave for the courthouse by 9:30, okay? Use your time wisely!"

% ^ % ^ % % ^ % ^ %

Lena had woken up first and gotten herself ready before starting breakfast. She and Stef were hoping to have a few minutes with just Jude and Callie before they all left for the courthouse. The day was going to be a careful balance between private moments with just their two new kids and family moments with all of the children. Hopefully no one would end up feeling like they hadn't gotten enough attention.

As she cracked eggs into a bowl for scrambling, she noticed that Jude was lingering in the doorway to the kitchen, still wearing his pajamas. "Hey, buddy. Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"The bathroom's already taken."

"Ah. You want to set the table for me while you're waiting?" Jude nodded, and put an object down on the shelves by the fridge before starting to get together plates and silverware. "What was that?"

"Something I made," he replied.

Lena wiped her hands on a towel. "Can I see?" Jude nodded and handed her the small box. Inside were two colorful bracelets made of braided ribbon. A little heart-shaped charm dangled from each. "Oh, Jude..."

"This one's yours," he said as he picked up the blue and purple one. "The blue's for me and the purple's for you." The other bracelet for Stef was blue and green.

"This is beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you."

He smiled. "I never had a mom to make presents for before. I'm glad that now I've got two."

"How's breakfast coming?" Stef asked as she came into the kitchen behind them, her hair still wet from the shower.

"On hold, for the moment," Lena replied. "Jude had presents for us." She handed her wife the box.

"Thank you, love," Stef told him as she took her bracelet. "We were going to do this a little later, but we've got a present for you, too." She went into the living room to retrieve his package. Jude tore into it with all the enthusiasm of a small child on Christmas morning.

The first thing he found underneath the wrapping paper was a leather cord bracelet. "Great minds think alike, hmm?" Lena asked as she ruffled his hair. Jude smiled as he read the silver charm that was attached to it. On one side, it said 'born in our hearts,' and the other side read 'Jude Foster'.

"I love it," he told the Moms as he put it on.

"We're glad," Stef replied. "Keep going; there's more in there." The bracelet had been resting on top of a picture frame. It held an image of sunbeams shining down upon the ocean, and part of a poem was overlayed on it. "This is one of Mama's favorite poems," Stef explained. "And it made us both think of you."

OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE.

OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE.

IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNESS THAT MOST FRIGHTENS US.

WE ASK OURSELVES, 'WHO AM I TO BE BRILLIANT, GORGEOUS, TALENTED, AND FABULOUS?'

ACTUALLY, WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?

"Don't ever be afraid to be yourself, Jude," Lena told him, "Because who you are is a fantastic kid. We will love you no matter what, and we want you to be happy in life."

He hugged them both. "Promise."

"Okay, buddy, you need to go get dressed," Stef reminded him. "If Mariana's still in the bathroom, tell her I said to get a move on."

"Okay," Jude said as he scampered off up the stairs.

Lena smiled at her wife. "I'm so glad we're doing this."

Stef kissed her. "Me, too."

* * *

After breakfast was done, Stef and Lena managed to steal a minute with Callie in the living room while the others cleaned up the kitchen and finished getting ready. "We wanted to give you something," Stef told their soon-to-be daughter. She handed Callie a small white box, which she opened to find a necklace - a pendant shaped like the outline of a heart dangling from a silver chain.

"This is really pretty." As she ran a finger over the charm, Callie realized that the left side was engraved with that day's date, and the right side had her new initials - CJF. Stef and Lena had supported the idea of making Callie and Jude's former last name into a middle name. They would be Fosters now, but it had seemed wrong to erase their only remaining tie to their birth mother. She was part of who they were, even if they were now free to define new futures for themselves. Callie appreciated the fact that they'd put all three initials on the necklace; it would forever be a reminder of the start of her new life.

"We got something similar for Mariana five years ago," Lena explained. "In a way, this is a present from her, too, because we talked to her before we got it. She thought it was fitting that both of our daughters would have one."

"Thank you." Callie undid the clasp and put it on. "Um... there was something I wanted to tell you."

"What, love?" Stef asked.

"I just... I'm really sorry for the things I said and the way I acted my first day here. I didn't mean it; please believe I didn't mean it. I know I was horrible and I'm sorry."

Stef kissed her forehead. "We know. It's okay."

"We love you, sweetheart," Lena told her. "Every bit of you. The sweet side that takes care of Jude, the funny side that jokes around with Brandon and Jesus... and the rough side that comes from memories we wish we could erase."

Callie thought about that for a moment. "Without all of those memories, I wouldn't be here now."

"True," Stef agreed, "But that doesn't mean any of us have to like it."

Jude appeared at the top of the stairs. "Mom?" he called to Stef, "I can't find my tie."

"How did you lose it?" she asked as she got up. "You put all your clothes out last night, didn't you?"

"Yeah... But I don't know where it went."

Lena sat beside Callie on the couch once they were alone. "We know you're concerned about Jude. You're always going to be worried about him. But you're not alone in that anymore. He's our little guy now, too."

Callie nodded. "Yeah. It's been so long..."

Lena took her hand. "We know. You've done so great for him; he's lucky to have you." She and Stef were determined to unburden their new daughter as much as possible after this day. She deserved to at least attempt to just be a normal teenager.

However, Callie shook her head. "No, I'm so lucky to have him." She gave Lena a small smile. "And now we're lucky to have you guys."

Mariana, Stef, and Jude - with his tie - came downstairs just as Brandon and Jesus came out of the kitchen. "Is everyone ready?" Stef asked the kids. They all nodded. "Okay, let's get going."

Mariana smiled at her sister when she saw her present. "They look good, don't they?" she asked, pointing out that she was wearing her own necklace.

Callie nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." It wasn't just for the compliment, but for sharing something that had meant a lot to her and the moms.

She just shrugged. "No problem, big sis." Both girls smiled.

* * *

At the courthouse, they were joined by Mike, Lena's parents, and Stef's parents. Callie thought it was amazing that all of the out-of-town grandparents had flown in to support them. She was still adjusting to what being part of the family would mean, but was looking forward to it.

The judge was a kind-looking woman with graying auburn hair. "Do both of you understand what's happening in court here today?" she asked Callie and Jude. They nodded. "How do you feel about being adopted?"

Jude smiled. "We're going to have the best family ever."

"Excellent. I've been looking through your social worker's reports. It makes me very glad to see that you've finally landed somewhere he thinks will be very good for you. Would you agree with that assessment?" Both of them nodded again. "You understand that from now on, you've got some responsibilities to your family, right? You have to get presents for your moms on Mother's Day. Callie, you're going to have more younger siblings to look after, and Jude, you're going to have more older siblings to annoy." Everyone laughed.

The judge then looked to Lena and Stef. "I admire you two for choosing to take on the challenge of such a large family."

Lena smiled. "Once we got to know them, it wasn't really a choice."

Their adoption lawyer laid out the forms they would need to sign on the table. "I just have to be sure," she told them, "That you understand that by signing this document, you are stating that from now and hereafter, you will care for Callie and Jude as if they were your natural children?"

"We do," both women agreed. Stef signed first, then Lena. The forms were also taken up to the judge for her signature.

"By signing this," she explained, "I'm granting your petition; the minor children are now the adopted children of petitioners, Stefanie and Lena Foster, with all the rights and duties of that relationship. And the children's names shall henceforth be Callie and Jude Jacobs Foster. Congratulations."

The newest Foster siblings were quickly swallowed up in a sea of hugs from their brothers and sister and other family members. Stef and Lena smiled as they watched them celebrate. It had been a long time coming, but finally their family was complete.

At least for the time being.

* * *

**The End.**

**Phew! What a ride. Once again, thank you so much to everyone who sent feedback. You all are the best and I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. I've got another story (not connected to these two) in work, so hopefully I'll be posting again soon.**

**Oh, and the poem that the moms gave Jude is by Marianne Williamson (and one of my favorites, too).**


End file.
